Antenna and electronic devices comprising the same

ABSTRACT

An electronic device having an antenna is provided. The electronic device includes a substrate including a grounding area, a non-grounding area and at least one feeding unit for feeding an antenna radiator, and a non-segmented metal cover forming an outer frame of the electronic device and operating as a part of the antenna.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) of a Koreanpatent application filed on Apr. 9, 2014 in the Korean IntellectualProperty Office and assigned Serial number 10-2014-0042593, the entiredisclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a method for forming an outer frame ofan electronic device using a metal material to use the metal material asa part of an antenna.

BACKGROUND

A wireless communication technology has been recently developed as animportant means for easily transferring and sharing various types ofdata, such as sounds, images and pictures. With the development of thewireless communication technology, information has been diversified anda communication speed has been improved.

With the trend of digital convergence, electronic devices, such assmartphones and tablets provide various functions. For example, servicesbased on functions of communication technologies, such as digitalmultimedia broadcasting, (DMB), global positioning system (GPS),Bluetooth (BT), radio frequency identification (RFID) andwireless-fidelity (Wi-Fi) may be provided. To provide such services, anelectronic device may be provided with one or more antennas. Theelectronic device may radiate radio waves (signals) to free space (e.g.,air) or may receive radio waves from the free space using the antennas,thereby performing wireless communication.

Currently, it is a trend to decrease the thicknesses of electronicdevices, such as smartphones or tablets and increase the sizes ofscreens of the electronic devices. A thin and large screen may satisfy auser, but may be vulnerable to external impact. In order to improveimpact resistance, tempered front glass or reinforced plastic may beused for an external structure of an electronic device. In the casewhere a metallic case is used to improve durability, the performance ofan antenna installed in the electronic device may be degraded.Furthermore, even though a part of the metallic case is used as anantenna, the antenna performance may be degraded.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an electronic device in which ametallic case is used as an antenna according to the related art.

Referring to FIG. 1, a rear surface of an electronic device 100 mayinclude an upper metal area 101, an intermediate metal area 103, and alower metal area 105. Furthermore, the electronic device 100 may includea segmentation structure 111 for dividing the upper metal area 101 fromthe intermediate metal area 103, and a segmentation structure 113 fordividing the intermediate metal area 103 from the lower metal area 105.In addition, a rear camera 120 may be exposed on the rear surface.

According to the electronic device illustrated in FIG. 1, the uppermetal area 101 may operate as a radiator of an antenna. The segmentationstructure 111 may be designed so that the upper metal area 101 has anappropriate length or area for receiving a signal of a target frequencyband. However, if a part (e.g., a finger or a cheek) of a body of a usercontacts the segmentation structure 111 (or the segmentation structure113), the performance of the antenna may be degraded. For example, dueto the body contacting the segmentation structure 111, the upper metalarea 101 may be electrically connected to the intermediate metal area103, thereby changing the characteristic of the antenna. The changedantenna characteristic may not be suitable for transmitting/receivingthe signal of the target frequency band.

Therefore, a need exists for an electronic device to which a metal caseis applied, wherein the electronic device may have the same performanceas that obtained when the metal case is not used or improvedperformance, and may minimize the degradation of the performance when ahuman body contacts the case.

The above information is presented as background information only toassist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determinationhas been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the abovemight be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.

SUMMARY

Aspects of the present disclosure are to address at least theabove-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at leastthe advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the presentdisclosure is to provide an electronic device to which a metal case isapplied, wherein the electronic device may have the same performance asthat obtained when the metal case is not used or improved performance,and may minimize the degradation of the performance when a human bodycontacts the case.

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, an electronicdevice having an antenna is provided. The electronic device includes asubstrate including a grounding area, a non-grounding area and at leastone feeding unit for feeding an antenna radiator, and a non-segmentedmetal cover forming an outer frame of the electronic device andoperating as a part of the antenna.

Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the disclosure willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings,discloses various embodiments of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certainembodiments of the present disclosure will be more apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an electronic device in which ametallic case is used as an antenna according to the related art;

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an electronic deviceaccording to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a metal case according to variousembodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a method of using a metal case as anadditional grounding area according to various embodiments of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a method of using a metal case as anantenna radiator according to various embodiments of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating antenna impedance matching using ametal case according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate a method of arranging an antenna radiator ina nonmetal area between a metal case and a substrate according tovarious embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a method of using a metal case as anantenna radiator according to various embodiments of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a processed metal case provided with anadditional radiator according to various embodiments of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an antenna having a coupling structureaccording to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware structure of anelectronic device according to various embodiments of the presentdisclosure; and

FIG. 12 is a graph illustrating a reflection coefficient of an antennadevice according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Throughout the drawings, it should be noted that like reference numbersare used to depict the same or similar elements, features, andstructures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings isprovided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of variousembodiments of the present disclosure as defined by the claims and theirequivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in thatunderstanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary.Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize thatvarious changes and modifications of the various embodiments describedherein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of thepresent disclosure. In addition, descriptions of well-known functionsand constructions may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

The terms and words used in the following description and claims are notlimited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used by theinventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the presentdisclosure. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in theart that the following description of various embodiments of the presentdisclosure is provided for illustration purpose only and not for thepurpose of limiting the present disclosure as defined by the appendedclaims and their equivalents.

It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the”include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.Thus, for example, reference to “a component surface” includes referenceto one or more of such surfaces.

By the term “substantially” it is meant that the recited characteristic,parameter, or value need not be achieved exactly, but that deviations orvariations, including for example, tolerances, measurement error,measurement accuracy limitations and other factors known to those ofskill in the art, may occur in amounts that do not preclude the effectthe characteristic was intended to provide.

The term “include,” “comprise,” “including,” or “comprising” used hereinindicates disclosed functions, operations, or existence of elements butdoes not exclude other functions, operations or elements. It should befurther understood that the term “include”, “comprise”, “have”,“including”, “comprising”, or “having” used herein specifies thepresence of stated features, integers, operations, elements, components,or combinations thereof but does not preclude the presence or additionof one or more other features, integers, operations, elements,components, or combinations thereof.

The meaning of the term “or” or “at least one of A and/or B” used hereinincludes any combination of words listed together with the term. Forexample, the expression “A or B” or “at least one of A and/or B” mayindicate A, B, or both A and B.

The terms, such as “first”, “second”, and the like used herein may referto various elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure,but do not limit the elements. For example, such terms do not limit theorder and/or priority of the elements. Furthermore, such terms may beused to distinguish one element from another element. For example, “afirst user device” and “a second user device” indicate different userdevices. For example, without departing the scope of the presentdisclosure, a first element may be referred to as a second element, andsimilarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being“connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directlyconnected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may bepresent. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directlyconnected” or “directly coupled” to another element, it should beunderstood that there are no intervening elements. For example, in thecase where an antenna radiator is connected to a circuit substrate forthe purpose of feeding, the feeding may include both feeding through adirect connection and feeding through an indirect connection (e.g.,coupling feeding). Furthermore, ground contact includes both a directconnection and indirect connection between a grounding area and anantenna. For example, in the present disclosure, the term “connection”or an electrical configuration that may be construed as “connection”includes a direct connection or an indirection connection, and may beestablished electrically and does not need to be established physically,unless otherwise specified or the above-mentioned configuration isillogical or cannot be carried out by those skilled in the art.

The terminology used herein is not for delimiting the variousembodiments of the present disclosure but for describing specificexamples of the present disclosure.

The terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have thesame meanings as understood by those skilled in the art. It should befurther understood that terms in common usage should also be interpretedas is customary in the relevant art and not in an idealized or overlyformal detect unless expressly so defined herein.

Electronic devices according to various embodiments of the presentdisclosure may include a metal case. For example, the electronic devicesmay include at least one of smartphones, tablet personal computers(PCs), mobile phones, video telephones, electronic book readers, desktopPCs, laptop PCs, netbook computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs),portable multimedia players (PMPs), Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG-1or MPEG-2) Audio Layer 3 (MP3) players, mobile medical devices, cameras,wearable devices (e.g., head-mounted-devices (HMDs), such as electronicglasses), an electronic apparel, electronic bracelets, electronicnecklaces, electronic appcessories, electronic tattoos, smart watches,and the like.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, theelectronic devices may be smart home appliances including metal cases.The smart home appliances may include at least one of, for example,televisions (TVs), digital versatile disc (DVD) players, audios,refrigerators, air conditioners, cleaners, ovens, microwave ovens,washing machines, air cleaners, set-top boxes, TV boxes (e.g., SamsungHomeSync™, Apple TV™, or Google TV™), game consoles, electronicdictionaries, electronic keys, camcorders, electronic picture frames,and the like.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, theelectronic devices may include at least one of medical devices (e.g., amagnetic resonance angiography (MRA), a magnetic resonance imaging(MRI), a computed tomography (CT), scanners, and ultrasonic devices),navigation devices, global positioning system (GPS) receivers, eventdata recorders (EDRs), flight data recorders (FDRs), vehicleinfotainment devices, electronic equipment for vessels (e.g., navigationsystems and gyrocompasses), avionics, security devices, head units forvehicles, industrial or home robots, automatic teller's machines (ATMs),and points of sales (POSs) including metal cases.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, theelectronic devices may include at least one of parts of furniture orbuildings/structures having communication functions, electronic boards,electronic signature receiving devices, projectors, and measuringinstruments (e.g., water meters, electricity meters, gas meters, andwave meters) including metal cases. The electronic devices according tovarious embodiments of the present disclosure may be one or morecombinations of the above-mentioned devices. Furthermore, the electronicdevices according to various embodiments of the present disclosure maybe flexible devices. It would be obvious to those skilled in the artthat the electronic devices according to various embodiments of thepresent disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned devices.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the term “case” mayrepresent a part of the entirety of an outer frame of an electronicdevice. For example, a metal case may be construed as a metal ring, ametal front cover, a metal battery cover, a metal rear cover, and thelike. Specifically, the case may represent a battery case that coversthe rear of the electronic device. In various embodiments of the presentdisclosure, the case may represent a ring-type case that surrounds aside of the electronic device. For example, in the case of a smartphone,the case may represent a metal ring surrounding a side of the smartphoneand having four rounded corners. In various embodiments of the presentdisclosure, the term “metal case” may represent a part or the entiretyof a metallic area excepting a display, a receiver and a speaker whichare exposed to the outside. For example, the outer frame of theelectronic device may be formed of a combination of a display, a metalcase and an injection-molded case.

Hereinafter, electronic devices according to various embodiments of thepresent disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings. The term “user” used herein may refer to a person who uses anelectronic device or may refer to a device (e.g., an artificialelectronic device) that uses an electronic device.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an electronic deviceaccording to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 2, an outer frame of an electronic device 200 mayinclude a rear case 201, a side case 210, and a case connection part 221arranged therebetween. In various embodiments of the present disclosure,the outer frame of the electronic device 200 may include a rear camera220 or an external port (not illustrated). In various embodiments of thepresent disclosure, the case connection part 221 and the side case 210may be formed as one piece. For example, the outer frame of theelectronic device 200 may be formed by coupling the rear case 201 withthe side case 210. Although not illustrated, the side case 210 may bearranged so as to be physically adjacent to a display panel (or temperedglass) disposed on a front surface of the electronic device.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the metal case may bea metallic ring (e.g., the side case 210) forming the outer frame of theelectronic device. In various embodiments of the present disclosure, themetal case may be a rear case (e.g., the rear case 201), such as a rearbattery case. In the case where the rear case 201 is formed of metal, aside (e.g., the side case 210) of the electronic device may be formed ofa nonmetal material.

Referring to FIG. 2, in various embodiments of the present disclosure,the electronic device 200 may include the rear case 201, a substrate203, and a display panel 205. The rear case 201, the substrate 203, andthe display panel 205 may form layers arranged vertically at differentpositions. The forms of the elements illustrated in FIG. 2 are merelysimplified examples for ease of description, and thus, the rear case201, the substrate 203, and the display panel 205 may have various sizesand shapes. For example, the substrate 203 may include a main printedcircuit board (PCB) and a sub PCB, or three or more PCBs.

The electronic device 200 may include a nonmetal area 230. The nonmetalarea 230 may be arranged between the rear case 201 and the substrate 203or between the substrate 203 and the display panel 205. In variousembodiments of the present disclosure, the nonmetal area 230 may bearranged between the side case 210 and the substrate 203. The nonmetalarea 230 may be provided as an empty space, or may be filled with adielectric having a dielectric constant. In various embodiments of thepresent disclosure, the nonmetal area 230 may be formed by separatingthe side case 210 from the substrate 203 by a certain distance.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, an antenna radiatormay be arranged in the nonmetal area 230 of the electronic device 200.Even though the antenna radiator is arranged in the nonmetal area 230, ametal material of the electronic device 220, such as the metal case oran internal metal component, may affect a radiation performance of anantenna.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the antenna may beimplemented using the substrate 203 and a substrate 205 (e.g., ground)without being connected to the metal case, or may be connected to themetal case so as to be implemented, in the nonmetal area 230. In variousembodiments of the present disclosure, the antenna may have a structureof a dipole antenna, a folded dipole antenna, a monopole antenna, aplanar inverted F-antenna (PIFA), a loop antenna, and the like. Invarious embodiments of the present disclosure, the antenna may have apattern of a meander type, curved type or linear type or anothergeometric pattern. In various embodiments of the present disclosure, theantenna included in the electronic device 200 may have at least onefeeding structure. The antenna may be implemented without beingconnected to the antenna to the metal case, or may be implemented byforming at least one connection between the antenna and the metal case.Furthermore, in the case where the antenna (antenna radiator) isarranged in the nonmetal area 230, the antenna may be connected to ametal component of the electronic device 200, such as a PCB so as to beimplemented. In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the metalcomponent may be used as a part of the antenna or may be used as amatching element. For example, the metal component may include amicrophone, a sensor, a universal serial bus (USB) connector, and a keyflexible PCB (FPCB).

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, a part or the entiretyof the metal case may be used as a grounding area of the antenna, or maybe used as a part of the antenna radiator. Furthermore, the metal casemay serve for antenna matching. When the metal case serves for antennamatching, some or all of metal structures of the electronic device,including the metal case, may be physically or electronically connectedto each other. Alternatively, the metal structures may be physicallyseparated from each other. In various embodiments of the presentdisclosure, the metal structures may be connected to each other by meansof a screw, a c-clip, a conductive tape, a conductive adhesive, a pogopin or the like. In various embodiments of the present disclosure, ametal structure may be connected as an additional conductive reinforcingstructure using the above-mentioned method.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, a non-segmented metalcase which is not divided into different segments by a segmentationstructure (e.g., the segmentation structures 111 and 113) may beregarded as the rear case 201. However, in some embodiments of thepresent disclosure, the non-segmented metal case may be regarded as ametal ring (e.g., 210 of FIG. 2). In this case, the rear case 201 may beformed of a nonmetal material.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the metal case (e.g.,the rear case 201) may form the outer frame of the electronic device soas to improve the robustness of the electronic device while serving as apart of the antenna. For example, the metal case may be used to secure agrounding area of the antenna, may be used as the radiator of theantenna, or may be used as an element for impedance matching of theantenna. Examples of such utilization of the metal case will bedescribed below.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the display panel 205may be connected to the substrate 203 so as to provide the groundingarea for the antenna.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a metal case according to variousembodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 3, an electronic device 300 may include a rear case301 and a side ring 310. A nonmetal area 311 may be arranged between therear case 301 and the side ring 310.

In the example of (a) of FIG. 3, the electronic device 300 may include arear case 301 a, a substrate 303 a, and a display 305 a. The rear case301 a, the substrate 303 a, and the display 305 a may be spaced apart atcertain intervals, and a nonmetal area 330 a may be laterally formed.Furthermore, the outer frame of the electronic device may be formed bythe rear case 301 a, a side case 310 a, and the front display panel 305a.

In the example of (a) of FIG. 3, both the rear case 301 a and the sidecase 310 a may be metal structures. The metal structures may be formedof conductive materials, and may have different conductivities. In thiscase, the nonmetal area 311 may be provided to divide the rear case 301a from the side case 310 a. Both the rear case 301 a and the side case310 a may be formed so as not to have a segmentation structure. Invarious embodiments of the present disclosure, the metal structures maynot be connected to each other, or at least two or all of the metalstructures may be connected to each other. In the case where the metalstructures are connected to each other, the metal structures may beconnected to each other at one or more points, or may be connected toeach other through a matching element, such as an inductor or acapacitor.

In the example of (b) of FIG. 3, the electronic device 300 may include arear case 301 b, a substrate 303 b, and a display 305 b. The rear case301 b, the substrate 303 b, and the display 305 b may be spaced apart atcertain intervals, and a nonmetal area 330 b may be laterally formed.Furthermore, the outer frame of the electronic device may be formed bythe rear case 301 b, a side case 310 b, and the front display panel 305b. The side case 310 b may be a metal structure, but the rear case 301 bmay not be a metal structure. For example, the rear case 301 b may be aninjection-molded battery case.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, in the electronicdevice 300 or 200, the rear case (e.g., the rear case 201) may be formedas a metal structure, the side case (e.g., the side case 310 b) may beformed as a metal structure, or both the rear case and the side case(e.g., the rear case 301 a and the side case 310 b) may be formed asmetal structures. In any case, the rear case or the side case may nothave a segmentation structure.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a method of using a metal case as anadditional grounding area according to various embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 4, an antenna of an electronic device (e.g., theelectronic device 200) may include a radiator 411, a feeding unit 413for feeding the radiator 411, and a substrate 415 for providing areas ofthe feeding unit 413 and a ground GND.

In many cases, in order to secure sufficient performance of an antenna,a sufficient grounding area may be provided. However, as electronicdevices become smaller, and the sizes of batteries installed inelectronic devices and the types and number of components thereinincrease, a substrate (e.g., the substrate 415) or a display ground(e.g., the display panel 205) connected to the substrate may not providea sufficient grounding area.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, for example, in theexample illustrated in the lower part of FIG. 4, the electronic devicemay use a rear metal case as an additional grounding area. For example,a substrate 425 may provide a grounding area and a feeding unit 423 forfeeding a radiator 421. Furthermore, one point 429 a of the substrate425 may be connected to one point 429 b of a rear metal case 427. Thisconnection may be performed using a c-clip, a pogo pin, or another metalmaterial. In this manner, the metal case 427 is used as a groundingarea, so that the electronic device secures a sufficient grounding areafor the antenna radiator 421.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a method of using a metal case as anantenna radiator according to various embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

Referring to FIG. 5, an electronic device 500 may include a metal case501, a substrate 503, and a display panel 505. In various embodiments ofthe present disclosure, a feeding line starting from the substrate 503may be directly connected to the metal case 501. In various embodimentsof the present disclosure, the feeding line may be connected to not onlythe metal case 501 but also another metal structure, so that the metalstructure may be used as an antenna or a part of the antenna.

Although FIG. 5 illustrates an antenna structure of the electronicdevice 500 as if a feeding unit 510 located on one point of a side ofthe substrate 503 directly fed the metal case 501, the feeding locationand method are not limited to the example illustrated in FIG. 5. Forexample, the feeding unit 510 may be located on an arbitrary point inthe substrate 503 so as to feed an arbitrary point of the metal case501. Furthermore, the substrate 503 may have at least one feeding unitor feeding line.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating antenna impedance matching using ametal case according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 6, an electronic device 600 may include a metal case601, a substrate 603, and a display panel 605. The display panel 605 maybe connected to the substrate 603 so as to operate as a ground of anantenna. The substrate 603 may include a feeding unit 610 and agrounding part 620, and a radiator 630 may be connected to the feedingunit 610 and the grounding part 620. Furthermore, one point 609 a of thesubstrate 603 may be connected to one point 609 b of the metal case 601for the purpose of grounding.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the radiator 630 maybe formed at a side (e.g., a nonmetal area) of the electronic device.Since both the radiator 630 and the metal case 601 are formed of a metalmaterial, a capacitor element 640 may be generated depending on theshapes, lengths and sizes of the radiator 630 and the metal case 601.Furthermore, due to at least one connection (e.g., a connection betweenthe point 609 a and the point 609 b) established between the metal case601 and the substrate 603 for the purpose of grounding, an inductorelement and/or a capacitor element 650 may be generated. In variousembodiments of the present disclosure, the capacitor element may bechanged according to a characteristic (e.g., dielectric constant) of amaterial that forms a nonmetal area and a distance between metalmaterials.

In general, in the case where a metal plate, such as a metal case isarranged around an antenna radiator, the performance of an antenna maybe degraded. Therefore, if a rear case of an electronic device, such asa smartphone is made of a metal material, the performance of an antennafor 3^(rd) generation (3G), long term evolution (LTE), Wi-Fi, GPS, BT,near field communication (NFC) or infrared data association (IrDA)communication installed in the smartphone may be degraded. However, invarious embodiments of the present disclosure, a metal case is used asan antenna matching unit by controlling a distance between the metalcase and an antenna radiator, a length of the antenna radiator, adistance between the metal case and a substrate, the number ofconnections for grounding between the metal case and the substrate, anda material of a nonmetal area in which the antenna radiator is arranged,whereby the degradation of the performance of an antenna due to themetal case may be prevented or the antenna performance may be even moreimproved.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate a method of arranging an antenna radiator ina nonmetal area between a metal case and a substrate according tovarious embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 7A and 7B, an electronic device 700 may include ametal case 701, a substrate 703, and a display panel 705. Furthermore,the electronic device 700 may include an antenna radiator extending fromand fed by the substrate 703. The antenna radiator may be arranged inthe nonmetal area of the electronic device.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device700 may be provided with a plurality of antenna radiators extending fromthe substrate 703. For example, the electronic device 700 may include aradiator 731 fed by a feeding unit 711 and a radiator 732 fed by afeeding unit 712. Although the antenna radiator (e.g., the radiator 731)is illustrated as a monopole antenna type in the example of FIG. 7A, theantenna radiator may also have an inverted-F antenna (IFA)-type antennastructure that extends from one point of the antenna radiator so as tobe grounded by a grounding area of the substrate 703 or anothergrounding part of the electronic device 700. Besides these antennastructures, the electronic device 700 may have the above-mentionedvarious antenna structures (e.g., a loop antenna).

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the radiator 731 or732 may induce a coupling phenomenon with the metal case 701 or mayadjust a current, thereby improving the performance of the antenna. Asdescribed above with reference to FIG. 6, the metal case 701 may serveas a matching element of the antenna. The metal case 701 may beconnected to the substrate 703 at one or more points for the purpose ofgrounding.

In the example of FIG. 7B, an electronic device 700′ includes aprocessed metal case 704 instead of the metal case 701, compared to theelectronic device 700. The metal case 704 may include a processed areaat a part (e.g., the area shown in a dotted line) of the metal case 704.The processed area may have various shapes for adjusting the area of themetal case 704 or a current flow or for coupling with a radiatorarranged in a side area (e.g., a nonmetal area). The processed area maybe formed by cutting a part of the metal case (without splitting themetal case into two or more pieces). In various embodiments of thepresent disclosure, the processed area may be filled with a nonmetalmaterial having an appropriate dielectric constant. The processed areaof the metal case 704 may serve as a design element of the electronicdevice.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, an antenna may bedesigned as a switchable or tunable antenna to obtain optimalperformance. For example, the antenna (or antenna radiator) may beconfigured together with a tuner or a switch. For example, the tuner maybe implemented in the form of a tunable capacitor chip. In variousembodiments of the present disclosure, the tuner may adjust an RFresponse so that the RF response corresponds to various receiving bandsof an electronic device. In addition, the tuner may perform a tuningoperation so that the antenna properly operates even when an environmentis changed, for example, when a human body or a conductor contacts orapproaches the antenna. A radiator (e.g., the radiator 731 or 732) maybe designed to have a meandered structure or a curved structure. Invarious embodiments of the present disclosure, the radiator (e.g., theradiator 731 or 732) may have one or more branches to receive signals oftwo or more frequency bands (e.g., B1 for wideband code divisionmultiple access (WCDMA), B8 for LTE, Wi-Fi, GPS, and the like). Invarious embodiments of the present disclosure, the antenna may bemanufactured through a laser direct structuring (LDS) process, a doubleinjection process, or a process for forming an FPCB structure, a steeluse stainless (SUS) structure or a metal ink painting structure.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a method of using a metal case as anantenna radiator according to various embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

Referring to FIG. 8, an electronic device 800 may include a rear case801, a substrate 803, a display panel 805, and a metal ring 807 thatserves as a side case. In various embodiments of the present disclosure,the rear case 801 may be formed of a metal material (e.g., a metalbattery case) or a nonmetal material (e.g., an injection-molded batterycase).

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, a feeding line may bedirectly connected to the metal ring 807 at one point 811 of thesubstrate 803. When the metal ring 807 is fed by the feeding line, themetal ring 807 may operate as a part of an antenna. In variousembodiments of the present disclosure, the feeding line may be connectedfrom one or more points (e.g., points 811 and 812) of the substrate 803to different points of the metal ring 807. In various embodiments of thepresent disclosure, an additional radiator pattern 831 may be providedto the feeding line. By virtue of the additional radiator pattern 831, aplurality of service bands may be secured. In various embodiments of thepresent disclosure, one or more metal structures (e.g., the metal ring807 and the rear case 801) may be connected to each other, or any one ofthe metal structures may not be connected to any other metal structure,or at least one of the metal structures may be connected to anothermetal structure.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a processed metal case provided with anadditional radiator according to various embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

Referring to FIG. 9, an electronic device 900 may include a metal case901, a substrate 903, and a display panel 905. In various embodiments ofthe present disclosure, the metal case 901 may have a slit structure,such as a slit 904. A plurality of slits may be provided, wherein thelengths, directions, shapes and positions of and distances between theslits may be determined so as to obtain optimal performance of anantenna or adjust a bandwidth.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, a feeding line may bedirectly connected to the metal case 901 at one point (e.g., a point910) of the substrate 903. In this case, the metal case 901 may operateas an antenna radiator. Furthermore, an additional radiator 930 may beextended from one point of the metal case 901. The additional radiator930 may be arranged in a nonmetal area. The additional radiator 930 maybe connected to the metal case 901 physically or electrically, and mayhave a coupling structure to improve the performance of the antenna.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an antenna having a coupling structureaccording to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 10, an electronic device 1000 may include a metal case1001, a substrate 1003, and a display panel 1005. In various embodimentsof the present disclosure, the electronic device 1000 may include anantenna radiator 1030 fed by a feeding unit 1010 of the substrate 1003.Furthermore, the electronic device 1000 may include an additionalradiator 1040 extended from the metal case 1001. In various embodimentsof the present disclosure, the radiator 1030 may be coupled with theradiator 1040. Furthermore, the radiator 1030 may be coupled through anadditional branch extended from a metal structure, such as the metal1001, a metal ring (not illustrated) or the display panel 1005.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware structure of anelectronic device according to various embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

Referring to FIG. 11, an electronic device 1100 may include at least oneapplication processor (AP) 1110, a communication module 1120, asubscriber identification module (SIM) card 1124, a memory 1130, asensor module 1140, an input device 1150, a display 1160, an interface1170, an audio module 1180, a camera module 1191, a power managementmodule 1195, a battery 1196, an indicator 1197 or a motor 1198.

The AP 1110 may run an operating system or an application program so asto control a plurality of hardware or software components connected tothe AP 1110, and may process various data including multimedia data andmay perform an operation. The AP 1110 may be implemented with, forexample, a system on chip (SoC). According to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure, the AP 1110 may further include a graphic processingunit (GPU, not illustrated).

The communication module 1120 may perform data transmission/receptionfor communication between the electronic device 1100 and otherelectronic devices connected thereto through a network. According to anembodiment of the present disclosure, the communication module 1120 mayinclude a cellular module 1121, a Wi-Fi module 1123, a BT module 1125, aGPS module 1127, an NFC module 1128, and an RF module 1129.

The cellular module 1121 may provide a voice call service, a video callservice, a text message service, or an Internet service through atelecommunications network (e.g., LTE, LTE-advanced (LTE-A), CDMA,WCDMA, universal mobile telecommunications service (UMTS), wirelessbroadband (WiBro) or global system for mobile communications (GSM)network). Furthermore, the cellular module 1121 may identify andauthenticate electronic devices in the telecommunications network using,for example, a SIM (e.g., the SIM card 1124). According to an embodimentof the present disclosure, the cellular module 1121 may perform at leasta part of functions provided by the AP 1110. For example, the cellularmodule 1121 may perform at least a part of a multimedia controlfunction.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the cellularmodule 1121 may include a communication processor (CP). The cellularmodule 1121 may be implemented with, for example, an SoC. Although FIG.11 illustrates that the cellular module 1121 (e.g., a CP), the memory1130 and the power management module 1195 are separated from the AP1110, the AP 1110 may include at least a part of the foregoing elements(e.g., the cellular module 1121), according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the AP 1110 or thecellular module 1121 (e.g., a CP) may load, on a volatile memory, acommand or data received from at least one of a nonvolatile memory andanother element connected to the AP 1110 or the cellular module 1121, soas to process the command or data. Furthermore, the AP 1110 or thecellular module 1121 may store, in the nonvolatile memory, data receivedfrom or generated by at least one of the other elements.

Each of the Wi-Fi module 1123, the BT module 1125, the GPS module 1127and the NFC module 1128 may include, for example, a processor forprocessing data transmitted/received through the modules. FIG. 11illustrates the cellular module 1121, the Wi-Fi module 1123, the BTmodule 1125, the GPS module 1127 and the NFC module 1128 as if themodules are separate blocks. However, according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure, at least a part (e.g., two or more) of the cellularmodule 1121, the Wi-Fi module 1123, the BT module 1125, the GPS module1127 and the NFC module 1128 may be included in a single integrated chip(IC) or IC package. For example, at least a part (e.g., a communicationprocessor corresponding to the cellular module 1121 and a Wi-Fiprocessor corresponding to the Wi-Fi module 1123) of the cellular module1121, the Wi-Fi module 1123, the BT module 1125, the GPS module 1127 andthe NFC module 1128 may be implemented with a single SoC.

The RF module 1129 may transmit/receive data, for example, maytransmit/receive an RF signal. Although not illustrated, for example, atransceiver, a power amp module (PAM), a frequency filter or a low noiseamplifier (LNA) may be included in the RF module 1129. Furthermore, theRF module 1129 may further include a component, such as a conductor or awire for transmitting/receiving free-space electromagnetic waves in awireless communication system. FIG. 11 illustrates the cellular module1121, the Wi-Fi module 1123, the BT module 1125, the GPS module 1127 andthe NFC module 1128 as if the modules share the single RF module 1129.However, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at leastone of the cellular module 1121, the Wi-Fi module 1123, the BT module1125, the GPS module 1127 and the NFC module 1128 may transmit/receiveRF signals through an additional RF module.

The SIM card 1124 may include a SIM, and may be inserted into a slotformed at a specific location of the electronic device. The SIM card1124 may include unique identification information (e.g., an integratedcircuit card identifier (ICCID)) or subscriber information (e.g.,international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)).

The memory 1130 may include an internal memory 1132 or an externalmemory 1134. The internal memory 1132 may include at least one of avolatile memory (e.g., a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a staticRAM (SRAM) or a synchronous DRAM (SDRAM)) and a nonvolatile memory(e.g., a one-time programmable read only memory (OTPROM), a PROM, anerasable and programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable andprogrammable ROM (EEPROM), a mask ROM, a flash ROM, a NAND flash memory,or a NOR flash memory).

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the internalmemory 1132 may be a solid state drive (SSD). The external memory 1134may include a flash drive, for example, compact flash (CF), securedigital (SD), micro-SD, mini-SD, extreme digital (xD) or a memory stick.The external memory 1134 may be functionally connected to the electronicdevice 1100 through various interfaces. According to an embodiment ofthe present disclosure, the electronic device 1100 may further include astorage device (or a storage medium), such as a hard drive.

The sensor module 1140 may measure physical quantity or detect anoperation state of the electronic device 1100 so as to convert measuredor detected information into an electrical signal. The sensor module1140 may include, for example, at least one of a gesture sensor 1140A, agyro sensor 1140B, an atmospheric pressure sensor 1140C, a magneticsensor 1140D, an acceleration sensor 1140E, a grip sensor 1140F, aproximity sensor 1140G, a color sensor 1140H (e.g., red, green, blue(RGB) sensor), a biometric sensor 1140I, a temperature/humidity sensor1140J, an illuminance sensor 1140K, and an ultraviolet (UV) sensor1140M. Although not illustrated, additionally or alternatively, thesensor module 1140 may include, for example, an olfactory sensor (E-nosesensor), an electromyography (EMG) sensor, an electroencephalogram (EEG)sensor, an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, a photoplethysmography (PPG)sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, an iris recognition sensor, afingerprint sensor, and the like. The sensor module 1140 may furtherinclude a control circuit for controlling at least one sensor includedtherein.

The input device 1150 may include a touch panel 1152, a (digital) pensensor 1154, a key 1156, or an ultrasonic input device 1158. The touchpanel 1152 may recognize a touch input using at least one of capacitive,resistive, infrared and ultraviolet detecting methods. The touch panel1152 may further include a control circuit. In the case of using thecapacitive detecting method, a physical contact recognition or proximityrecognition is allowed. The touch panel 1152 may further include atactile layer. In this case, the touch panel 1152 may provide tactilereaction to a user.

The (digital) pen sensor 1154 may be implemented in a similar or samemanner as the method of receiving a touch input of a user or may beimplemented using an additional sheet for recognition. The key 1156 mayinclude, for example, a physical button, an optical button, a keypad,and the like. The ultrasonic input device 1158, which is an input devicefor generating an ultrasonic signal, may enable the electronic device1100 to detect a sound wave through a microphone (e.g., a microphone1188) so as to identify data, wherein the ultrasonic input device 1158is capable of wireless recognition. According to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure, the electronic device 1100 may use the communicationmodule 1120 so as to receive a user input from an external device (e.g.,a computer or server) connected to the communication module 1120.

The display 1160 may include a panel 1162, a hologram device 1164, or aprojector 1166. The panel 1162 may be, for example, a liquid crystaldisplay (LCD) or an active-matrix organic light-emitting diode(AM-OLED). The panel 1162 may be, for example, flexible, transparent orwearable. The panel 1162 and the touch panel 1152 may be integrated intoa single module. The hologram device 1164 may display a stereoscopicimage in a space using a light interference phenomenon. The projector1166 may project light onto a screen so as to display an image. Thescreen may be arranged in the inside or the outside of the electronicdevice 1100. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, thedisplay 1160 may further include a control circuit for controlling thepanel 1162, the hologram device 1164, or the projector 1166.

The interface 1170 may include, for example, a high definitionmultimedia interface (HDMI) 1172, a USB 1174, an optical interface 1176,or a D-subminiature 1178. Additionally or alternatively, the interface1170 may include, for example, a mobile high-definition link (MHL)interface, an SD card/multi-media card (MMC) interface, an IrDAinterface, and the like.

The audio module 1180 may convert a sound into an electrical signal orvice versa. The audio module 1180 may process sound information input oroutput through a speaker 1182, a receiver 1184, an earphone 1186, or themicrophone 1188.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the camera module1191 for shooting a still image or a video may include at least oneimage sensor (e.g., a front sensor or a rear sensor), a lens (notillustrated), an image signal processor (ISP, not illustrated), or aflash (e.g., an LED or a xenon lamp, not illustrated).

The power management module 1195 may manage power of the electronicdevice 1100. Although not illustrated, a power management integratedcircuit (PMIC), a charger IC, or a battery or fuel gauge may be includedin the power management module 1195.

The PMIC may be mounted on an integrated circuit or an SoCsemiconductor. A charging method may be classified into a wired chargingmethod and a wireless charging method. The charger IC may charge abattery, and may prevent an overvoltage or an overcurrent from beingintroduced from a charger. According to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure, the charger IC may include a charger IC for at least one ofthe wired charging method and the wireless charging method. The wirelesscharging method may include, for example, a magnetic resonance method, amagnetic induction method or an electromagnetic method, and may includean additional circuit, for example, a coil loop, a resonant circuit, arectifier, and the like.

The battery gauge may measure, for example, a remaining capacity of thebattery 1196 and a voltage, current or temperature thereof while thebattery is charged. The battery 1196 may store or generate electricity,and may supply power to the electronic device 1100 using the stored orgenerated electricity. The battery 1196 may include, for example, arechargeable battery or a solar battery.

The indicator 1197 may display a specific state of the electronic device1100 or a part thereof (e.g., the AP 1110), such as a booting state, amessage state, a charging state, and the like. The motor 1198 mayconvert an electrical signal into a mechanical vibration. Although notillustrated, a processing device (e.g., a GPU) for supporting a mobileTV may be included in the electronic device 1100. The processing devicefor supporting a mobile TV may process media data according to thestandards of DMB, digital video broadcasting (DVB) or media flow.

Each of the above-mentioned elements of the electronic device accordingto various embodiments of the present disclosure may be configured withone or more components, and the names of the elements may be changedaccording to the type of the electronic device. The electronic deviceaccording to various embodiments of the present disclosure may includeat least one of the above-mentioned elements, and some elements may beomitted or other additional elements may be added. Furthermore, some ofthe elements of the electronic device according to various embodimentsof the present disclosure may be combined with each other so as to formone entity, so that the functions of the elements may be performed inthe same manner as before the combination.

The term “module” used herein may represent, for example, a unitincluding one or more combinations of hardware, software and firmware.The term “module” may be interchangeably used with the terms “unit”,“logic”, “logical block”, “component” and “circuit”. The “module” may bea minimum unit of an integrated component or may be a part thereof. The“module” may be a minimum unit for performing one or more functions or apart thereof. The “module” may be implemented mechanically orelectronically. For example, the “module” according to variousembodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of anapplication-specific IC (ASIC) chip, a field-programmable gate array(FPGA), and a programmable-logic device for performing some operations,which are known or will be developed.

An electronic device provided with an antenna according to variousembodiments of the present disclosure may include a substrate includinga grounding area, a non-grounding area and at least one feeding unit forfeeding an antenna radiator, and a non-segmented metal case that formsan outer frame of the electronic device and serves as a part of theantenna. In this case, a nonmetal area may be arranged between the metalcase and the substrate.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic devicemay further include a display panel connected to the grounding area,wherein the display panel may provide an additional grounding area forthe grounding area.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the radiator may bearranged in the nonmetal area, the non-segmented metal case may beconnected to the grounding area at one or more points, and thenon-segmented metal case may operate as an impedance matching element ofthe antenna. This connection may be established using at least one of ac-clip, a pogo pin, and a conductive tape.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the at least onefeeding unit may directly feed the non-segmented metal case, and the fednon-segmented metal case may operate as a part of the antenna radiator.Furthermore, the electronic device may further include an additionalradiator extended from the non-segmented metal case. Furthermore, thenon-segmented metal case may include a slit structure.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the non-segmentedmetal case may be a rear battery case of the electronic device. In thiscase, a side case of the electronic device may be formed of a nonmetalmaterial.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the non-segmentedmetal case may correspond to a side case of the electronic device. Inthis case, the side case may have the form of a metal ring.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the non-segmentedmetal case may be provided with an additional radiator extending towardthe nonmetal area, wherein the additional radiator may be coupled withthe antenna radiator.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, at least a part of theantenna radiator may be patterned on the substrate, and the other partof the antenna radiator may be formed in the nonmetal area.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the antenna radiatormay include at least one branch structure for transmitting/receiving asignal of a certain frequency band.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the nonmetal area maybe formed of a material having a dielectric constant for tuning theantenna.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the non-segmentedmetal case may be connected to the grounding area so as to provide anadditional grounding area.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the antenna radiatormay include a structure provided with a tunable element or a switchingelement.

FIG. 12 is a graph illustrating a reflection coefficient of an antennadevice according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

The radiation performance illustrated in FIG. 12 may be a result ofimplementation of the structure of FIG. 7.

Referring to FIG. 12, resonance of a low band (M3, 880 MHz band) may besecured by an electrical length of an antenna radiator (e.g., theradiator 731). Resonance of middle bands (M5-M7, 1710-2170 MHz) may beimplemented by virtue of a pattern forming feature of the antennaradiator (e.g., the radiator 731) and a harmonic component (e.g., 880(M3)×2=1760 MHz, a harmonic resonant component of an antenna may beformed at a band of about two times a frequency in a ground having alimited area). Resonance of a high band (M8-M9, 2500-2690 MHz) may beimplemented by a branch structure (not illustrated in FIG. 7) extendedfrom one point of the antenna radiator. The radiation performanceillustrated in FIG. 12 may be achieved by virtue of an extendingradiator structure implemented at a single port (e.g., the feeding unit711). However, in various embodiments of the present disclosure, theradiation performance may also be achieved by virtue of a radiatorstructure extending from two or more ports (e.g., the feeding units 711and 712).

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, therobustness of an electronic device may be secured using a metal case,while achieving a desired radiation performance of an antenna.

Furthermore, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure,a metal case may be used as an antenna radiator, a grounding area of anantenna, or a matching unit.

Certain aspects of the present disclosure can also be embodied ascomputer readable code on a non-transitory computer readable recordingmedium. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium is any datastorage device that can store data which can be thereafter read by acomputer system. Examples of the non-transitory computer readablerecording medium include a Read-Only Memory (ROM), a Random-AccessMemory (RAM), Compact Disc-ROMs (CD-ROMs), magnetic tapes, floppy disks,and optical data storage devices. The non-transitory computer readablerecording medium can also be distributed over network coupled computersystems so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in adistributed fashion. In addition, functional programs, code, and codesegments for accomplishing the present disclosure can be easilyconstrued by programmers skilled in the art to which the presentdisclosure pertains.

At this point it should be noted that the various embodiments of thepresent disclosure as described above typically involve the processingof input data and the generation of output data to some extent. Thisinput data processing and output data generation may be implemented inhardware or software in combination with hardware. For example, specificelectronic components may be employed in a mobile device or similar orrelated circuitry for implementing the functions associated with thevarious embodiments of the present disclosure as described above.Alternatively, one or more processors operating in accordance withstored instructions may implement the functions associated with thevarious embodiments of the present disclosure as described above. Ifsuch is the case, it is within the scope of the present disclosure thatsuch instructions may be stored on one or more non-transitory processorreadable mediums. Examples of the processor readable mediums include aROM, a RAM, CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, and optical datastorage devices. The processor readable mediums can also be distributedover network coupled computer systems so that the instructions arestored and executed in a distributed fashion. In addition, functionalcomputer programs, instructions, and instruction segments foraccomplishing the present disclosure can be easily construed byprogrammers skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains.

While the present disclosure has been shown and described with referenceto various embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilledin the art that various changes in form and details may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure asdefined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device comprising: a first antennaradiator; a substrate comprising: a first grounding area for the firstantenna radiator, a non-grounding area, and at least one feeding unit; anon-segmented metal case comprising a rear case of the electronicdevice; and a nonmetal area arranged between the non-segmented metalcase and the substrate, wherein the at least one feeding unit feeds thefirst antenna radiator, wherein the rear case is directly connected tothe first grounding area of the substrate, wherein the rear caseincludes a second grounding area for the first antenna radiator, andwherein at least a part of the first antenna radiator is patterned onthe substrate, and the other part of the first antenna radiator isarranged in the nonmetal area.
 2. The electronic device of claim 1,further comprising: a display panel connected to the first groundingarea, wherein the display panel provides a third grounding area for thefirst antenna radiator.
 3. The electronic device of claim 1, furthercomprising: a side case formed of a nonmetal material.
 4. The electronicdevice of claim 1, further comprising: a second antenna radiatorarranged in the nonmetal area, wherein the second antenna radiator iscoupled with the first antenna radiator.
 5. The electronic device ofclaim 1, wherein the first antenna radiator includes a branch structurefor transmitting/receiving a signal of a certain frequency band.
 6. Theelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the nonmetal area includes adielectric constant for tuning the antenna.
 7. The electronic device ofclaim 1, wherein the first antenna radiator is integrated with a tuneror a switch.
 8. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising: aside case formed of a non-segmented metal material.